Chapter 33
RIVER
I promisedSkylar I would play nice with Vincent for her.
But I’m going to kill this motherfucker.
Having her at the conference was not a good idea, but Landon and Vincent didn’t want to hear it.
They don’t have the panic attacks like she does.
They don’t understand it like I do.
“Breathe, baby,” I whisper as I hold her on the couch. “You did it. It’s over.”
Eventually, her breathing calms, and she stops clutching at me as tightly. “Shit, you shouldn’t have left,” she says, her eyes wide. “You should still be there!”
I snort. “I hate those things, anyway. I don’t like to play nice for no reason. That’s more Landon’s thing.”
“What about what Landon said about the press? Did anyone see us in that room?”
Her scent clouds with worry, sour mixing with the saltiness of her tears.
“Baby, no,” I tell her. “No one did.”
“But what if I messed up by running out? Shouldn’t I have met more people?”
I want to wipe the worry off her face.
“You had a fucking panic attack. You needed to get out of there.”
“I should have done more. I should have?—”
“You did more than enough,” I insist. “More than you needed to. Skylar, you gave them everything you fucking had. I watched you do it. I felt you.”
But no matter what I say, the tears don’t stop.
My phone buzzes, and it”s Vincent.
I ignore the call.
Fuck him.
He’s the reason she’s breaking down in my arms.
My phone buzzes again, this time with a text from Landon.
Did you get her home okay?
I type out a quick response as Skylar nestles against my shoulder.
I’m here with her. She’s not okay, though. The old man’s a fucking idiot.
As soon as I send it, she stiffens. “Hey,” she sniffles. “Are you blaming Vincent for this?”
“Yes,” I spit. “I am. He doesn’t understand what it’s like to go through what we go through.”
She lifts her head from my shoulder. “River,” she breathes, wiping the tears away from her face. “Let me explain something to you. Before this turns into something worse.”
I scowl. “Go ahead.”
“I wanted to do this, River. Vincent didn’t push me or force me into it. He wasn’t sure I could handle it. But I insisted on helping, somehow.”
I bite my lip, unsure of what to say.
It’s easier to blame Vincent for everything.
“You said you would try,” she whispers, as if reading my mind. “You said you would do your best to get along with him.”
“I know I did,” I admit.
Damn it.
“He’s the one that had to talk me out of doing something else,” she adds. “I offered to have you guys use me as bait, and I thought his head was going to explode.”
“Bait? Like some true crime podcast shit?” I gape at her as she nods.
“Baby, that’s fucking crazy,” I insist.
She arches a brow. “That’s interesting, coming from you. Last time I checked, you were getting into fights with drug dealers in alleyways, looking for any O suppliers.”
“Okay, well, that’s part of my job, smartass.” But she continues to look at me, unamused.
“Landon should mind his own business, anyway,” I grumble.
She rewards me with a half smile, wiping away a tear from her cheek. “And what did you do to Jason’s truck?” she asks. “Because I heard something about that, too.”
I narrow my eyes. “You were gone. And he was being a dick.’’
“Okay, but what did you do?”
“Nothing that can’t be undone.”
“River.”
I shrug. “Coffee in his gas tank. It won’t blow up or anything, it’s just going to be a bitch to fix at a mechanic.”
Her eyes widen. “You really did that?” she asks, her face horrified. “He puts thousands into his trucks.”
I scoff. “Yeah? And he should have put thousands into you. He’s a joke.”
“He’s petty enough to press charges,” she adds, biting her lip.
I bark out a laugh. “I hope he does,” I chuckle. “I fucking dare him.”
I didn’t have enough time with that asshole. I’d be happy to make him squirm in court.
If I can’t torture Briggs the way I want to, Skylar’s shitty ex is the next best thing.
She smacks my shoulder. “See? That’s what I’m talking about,” she huffs. “You do crazy things for the people you care about, especially when they go missing. So don’t hold Vincent accountable for my actions when it comes to April. I’m a big girl. I make my own decisions.”
I growl, frustrated at her logic.
“Fine. I won’t.” I say bitterly.
She leans in and kisses me, and my frustrations fade away.
She’s right. I do crazy shit for the people I love.
I shouldn’t be surprised she’s willing to do the same.
She sighs against my lips as I stroke her cheek, caressing her tenderly.
“You make me crazy,” I murmur. “More than usual.”
“I know,” she sighs, nuzzling against my chest. Her breathing slows, and her sweet scent swirls around me as I hold her in my arms.
“It’s one of the things I love about you,” I say after a moment of silence.
The words hang in the air, and she lets out a small gasp.
“I love you,” I admit. “I’m in love with you, Skylar.”
She doesn’t respond, and for a moment, I panic.
She doesn’t love you, idiot.
You can barely function half the time. You’re a mess, you’re too much of an explosive personality--
But she sits up to look at me, her beautiful eyes shining. “You really love me?” her voice breaks on the words, as if she’s in disbelief.
I nod. “Loving you is the easiest thing in the world,” I say. “I’m fucking crazy for you, to the point it’s concerning.”
She grins so wide her eyes crinkle in the corners. “I love you too,” she chuckles. “So much, River.”
I can’t stop myself. I know she should be resting, but I kiss her viciously, pulling her onto my lap so I can lick at the seam of her lips.
She loves me.
This perfect girl fucking loves me.
I’ll never get tired of her taste, or the little sounds she makes when she’s enjoying what I do to her.
Mine.
“Yours,” she agrees between kisses, and I realize I’ve spoken out loud.
I growl at her confirmation, then bring my lips to her mating gland.
She stiffens in my hold as I suck the sensitive spot, her scent blooming around us.
It’s so tempting to just sink my teeth into her.
And the irrational part of me wants to do it. To feel my soul tied to her, to have us permanently connected?—
“Oh no,” she gasps, pushing back from me.
I snap out of my lust-filled stupor. “What is it, baby?” I ask, reading the panic on her face.
Maybe she regrets telling me she loves me.
Maybe she’s decided that she’s better off with just Landon and Vincent, and tired of dealing with my bullshit.
“Oh,” she repeats, a hand going to her stomach as she moves off my lap.
Alarm bells sound in my mind. I don’t know what the fuck is happening or why she looks terrified, but I’m ready to light this fucking town on fire to make it stop.
“Baby? What’s wrong?”
“It’s starting,” she whispers shakily. “I can feel it. And it hurts. It hurts.”
As she says it, a thick wave of sweetness hits the air. The pure, concentrated scent of Omega.
Skylar’s Heat is starting.